Beep! Beep! Beep! My arm swung over automatically and hit the snooze button this morning. I lay back down hoping to give my brain a few more minutes to wake up but it was not to be. Suddenly I heard the Thump Thump Thump of a thick tail hitting my night stand while a wet tongue licked my hand. It was our new puppy, Hank. He’s part Dachshund, part Basset Hound and full of puppy energy. I sat up, petted his head, and started to pull on my clothes to take him for his morning walk. I got a happy “Aroo Aroo” for my efforts and I laughed. We headed out so Hank could go pee but he stopped along the way to greet our cat, Miss Alice. He gave her a good sniffing and snuggling while she “Meowed” and rubbed up against him. I smiled again at this growing boy. I thought about all of the laughter and love he had brought into our lives in the few months we’ve had him. And I thanked God again for the newest member of our family.

Hank reminds me of that old saying: “Money will buy you a good dog, but it will never buy the wag of his tail.” Since Hank first melted my daughter’s heart with his big brown eyes at the rescue shelter, we had paid a lot in adoption fees and vet visits but the love he showered us with was always freely given. With a wagging tail and loving spirit, he had captured our hearts.

I think that maybe God gave us dogs to remind us of how to really live. They are wonderful examples of how to love unconditionally, to give affection easily, and to live life with a sense of playfulness and joyful abandon. What a wonderful way to live.

We all should embrace the lessons dogs can teach us then. We may not have tails to wag but we do have smiles to share. We do have kindness to give. We do have love to shower and joy to scatter. We just need to open up our closed down hearts a little and let our inner puppy out. Then we will Live and Love and Laugh and Play while God smiles down upon us.